November 24, 2021

Title: DEAR AMY

Constructor: Zhouqin Burnikel

Editor: Erik Agard

Theme Answers:

HEART SMART (17A: Rhyming description for some healthy foods)

INFRARED RAY (29A: Bit of light picked up by night-vision goggles)

GENIUS GRANT (46A: Prize won by Nicole Fleetwood in 2021)

SPRAY ON TAN (61A: Bed alternative)

Theme synopsis: The last word of each theme answer is also the last name of a famous AMY: AMY SMART, AMY RAY, AMY GRANT, and AMY TAN.

Things I learned:

• FIFE (40A: Othar Turner's instrument) The Mississippi Blues Trail is a series of interpretive markers commemorating important people and events related to the influence of blues throughout the state of Mississippi. One of the markers honors Othar Turner (also known as Otha), a man that Wikipedia says "was one of the last well-known FIFE players in the vanishing American FIFE and drum blues tradition." 
• DJS (55A: Performs like Amorphous) Amorphous is the professional name of DJ Jim Reece Davis.
• POET (2D: Sarah Kay, for example) Sarah Kay is a POET known for her spoken word poetry. She is also the host of the TED podcast, Sincerely, X. In 2004, Sarah Kay founded Project VOICE, a group working to use spoken word poetry "to entertain, educate, and inspire."
• JADE (56D: Stone in many facial rollers) JADE facial rollers were a new thing to me, not surprising given the little amount of time I spend in the beauty supplies department. The use of JADE facial rollers dates back to seventh-century China, but they have experienced a surge in interest due to social media. If you're interested in learning more about these beautiful skin-care tools (after all, JADE is beautiful), this article gives a good overview. 

Random thoughts and interesting things:

• HEART SMART (17A: Rhyming description for some healthy foods) Foods considered HEART SMART may be low in saturated fat, salt, and/or sugar. The DEAR AMY in HEART SMART is actress AMY SMART who plays Barbara Whitmore on the TV series, Stargirl. 
• CAT (21A: Its smell scares a mouse) I mean, just look at this CAT, she certainly looks scary! It is true, however, that scientists have discovered that mice react with fear when they detect the smell of a CAT (or a rat). Science is fascinating.
  
• INFRARED RAY (29A: Bit of light picked up by night-vision goggles) The DEAR AMY in INFRARED RAY is AMY RAY, half of the folk duo, Indigo Girls.
• GENIUS GRANT (46A: Prize won by Nicole Fleetwood in 2021) A GENIUS GRANT is officially known as a MacArthur Fellowship. One of the 2021 MacArthur Fellows is art historian and curator, Nicole Fleetwood. In her 2020 book and an accompanying museum exhibition, both titled, Marking Time: Art in the Age of Mass Incarceration, Nicole Fleetwood explores the significance of incarcerated people's art. The DEAR AMY in GENIUS GRANT is singer, songwriter AMY GRANT. The lyrics of her 1991 hit, "Baby, Baby," were inspired by her then six-week-old daughter.
• SPRAY ON TAN (61A: Bed alternative) The DEAR AMY in SPRAY ON TAN is author AMY TAN. My graduate school advisor was the one that introduced me to AMY TAN, when he recommended her novel, The Joy Luck Club.
• REESE (66A: "Little Fires Everywhere" star Witherspoon) REESE Witherspoon plays the role of Elena Witherspoon in the TV miniseries, Little Fires Everywhere. The series is based on Celete Ng's novel of the same name.
• EGOT (11D: Award quartet for Liza Minnelli) EGOT = Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony. Liza Minelli won an Emmy Award in 1973 for Outstanding Variety Special for Liza with a Z. In 1990 she was honored with a Grammy Legend Award. Her Oscar Award was won in 1972 for Best Actress in Cabaret. She has won three Tony Awards, in 1965, 1978, and 2009.
• ARENA (32D: Entertainment & Sports ___ (D.C. venue) The Entertainment & Sports ARENA in Washington, D.C. is the home ARENA for WNBA's Washington Mystics, and the NBA G League team, Capital City Go-Go. It is also the practice facility for NBA's Washington Wizards.
• ROOIBOS TEA (33D: Red herbal drink) ROOIBOS TEA, also known as bush TEA, red TEA, or redbush TEA, is made from the leaves of the ROOIBOS plant.
• PTS (45D: Tina Thompson scored 7,488 in the WNBA (Abbr.) Tina Thompson is a former WNBA player. She is in the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Until 2017, her 7,488 points (PTS) made her the WNBA all-time leading scorer. She now ranks second in WNBA Career Scoring, surpassed by Diana Taurasi of WNBA's Phoenix Mercury.
• ORG (63D: www.wildaid.___) The URL www.wildaid.ORG belongs to the group, Wild Aid, who are working to protect wildlife from illegal trade. 

Geography review:

• OSLO (61A: City home to the Norsk Folkemuseum) The Norsk Folkemuseum, also known as the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History, is located in OSLO, Norway. The museum's collection of artifacts includes Norwegian folk costumes, folk art, and church art. The Norsk Folkemuseum has a large open-air museum with over 150 buildings, including Gol Stave Church dating from 1200, that have been relocated from towns and rural districts in Norway. 
• ALPS (12D: Mont Blanc's mountain range) Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in the ALPS.
• YEMEN (35D: Republic on the Gulf of Aden) YEMEN is a country in Western Asia, located on the southern end of the Arabian Peninsula, on the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea.
• UAE (47D: Burj Al Arab's country) Burj Al Arab is a luxury, five-star hotel in Dubai, UAE. The hotel, built to resemble the sail of a ship, is located on an artificial island that is connected to the mainland by a bridge. You may also choose to arrive by helicopter, as the hotel has its own helipad. The hotel has 202 bedroom suites, the smallest of which occupies 1,820 sq. ft. (That is more square footage than my entire three-bedroom house!) Prices range from around $1,500 to $24,000 a night. If you can't afford a stay at Burj Al Arab, you can take a tour for around $100. 

 It took me a bit of time to be sure of today's theme, because I wasn't familiar with the first two AMYs represented in the puzzle's theme. (I know the Indigo Girls, but did not know AMY RAY's name.) When I uncovered GENIUS GRANT, I was sure my thoughts about the theme were on the right track. I've listened to plenty of AMY GRANT. Like yesterday's puzzle, today's grid is asymmetric by one square. My favorite answer today is I'M A HUGE FAN. This could be a start to a letter one might write to any of the AMYs featured here. "DEAR AMY, I'M A HUGE FAN..." This puzzle was a good way to start my Wednesday.